Indiana Senator Richard Lugar says he'll run for a sixth term next year. He's already the longest-serving US senator in Indiana history. And at a Republican Lincoln Day celebration tonight in Mitchell, Lugar said he will run again in 2006. He said energy, education and the economy will likely be top issues in Indiana during his campaign.

Lugar is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and plays a big role in international relations. But he said he's never forgotten his home base in Indiana.

He was a member of the Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners from 1964 to 1967 and served as mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to 1975.

Lugar first ran for the U-S Senate in 1974, losing to Democratic incumbent Birch Bayh. He challenged another Democratic incumbent, Vance Hartke, in 1976 and won. Bayh's son, former Indiana governor Evan Bayh, is also in the Senate now.

WHY I'M A DEMOCRAT:"People who wear Christ on their sleeves and vote against helping people are the biggest hypocrites." - Charlie Melancon, in response to the voting down of the Melancon Amendment to raise levee funding.

Congressional Incumbents are hard to beat, especially one as seasoned as Richard Lugar. I would assume there are more voters in southern Indiana where it is generally more conservative than up north. Richard Lugar is all but a shoe-in to keep his seat. The Democrats best offer is nothing but a sacrificial lamb.

My earlier comment notwithstanding, I do think that the site would be better off if Inks left his position. (The fact that the village idiot has dropped in to express his support for him only confirms this.)